Fried Chicken Bon Ton

There is no printed menu at the Bon Ton Mini Mart because everyone comes to eat one thing: chicken. Located in a former convenience store / truck stop, this out-of-the-way treasure is an unlikely place indeed to find fine food; but in fact this chicken is some of the best you ever will eat: salty, spicy, moist and bursting with flavor.

The spice mix used for Bon-Ton chicken is a closely-guarded secret, but cook Donna King shared with us its fundamental ingredients as well as the basic principle of a long marinade – at least twenty-four hours. During that time, she explained, blood seems to be drawn from the meat, allowing a briefer frying time, resulting in the juiciest possible chicken with flavor insinuated into every fiber. She also told us that the pieces must rest five or ten minutes and "get doughy" after being dredged in spiced flour, and that pure vegetable shortening will insure it is grease-free.

Remember: Begin marinating the chicken the day before you plan to cook it!